1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to liquid gas contact or demister panels or baffles and an assembly or array of these panels for separating liquid droplets or mist from a gas stream using multiple, shaped impingement panel surfaces. The panels interlock by means of a tab and slot system, along with stabilizing and aligning end flanges, to define an array which can be configured to the processing apparatus in which the array is mounted. An incoming liquid-entrained gas stream impinges on the surfaces of the panel array, wherein entrained liquid contacts and clings to the panel or baffle surface, allowing the liquid to run or drain from the surface, clear of the gas stream.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Mist separators or eliminators of the impingement or baffle type are used in numerous applications in industry. Typical applications are scrubbers associated with the burning of hydrocarbon or carbon-based fuels, which scrubbers are used to remove sulfur gases, carbon monoxide and/or particulate material from flue gases. One such process using a demister is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,028,077, to Gleason. Another typical demister application is in processing or refining liquid-gas hydrocarbon systems and a typical process is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,553,973, to Ballou. Other gas liquid systems are described in literature such as Mass-Transfer Operations by Treybal, published by McGraw-Hill Book Company in 1955. Still other gas liquid systems and demister baffles, panels or elements are described in U.S. Pat. No. 621,998, to Farley, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 1,567,313 to Wilson, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 2,221,989 to Mount; U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,204 to PerOskar Persson; U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,121 to Phelps; U.S. Pat. No. 3,805,496 to Sokolowski; U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,241 to Braun; U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,215 to Regehr; U.S. Pat. No. 4,263,025 to Grodare; and my U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,328.
This invention includes an improvement in gas treating and gas-liquid contact and separation apparatus and in a structural array of such apparatus. In a preferred embodiment a preferred configuration and combination of panel or baffle elements is assembled using stabilizing and aligning end flanges, tabs and tab slots for assembling a panel array and controlling gas stream impingement on the generally V-shaped panels, whereby liquid droplets in the gas stream are attached to the panel surfaces, merged into or coalescing with a liquid film on the surface and drainage elements are provided in the panels to remove the coalesed liquid from the baffle surface in a manner designed to reduce or prevent reentrainment of the liquid in the gas stream. A preferred embodiment includes a panel or baffle array or configuration which is structurally strong and oriented for efficiently removing liquid from the gas stream with very low pressure drop in the gas stream. The flanged assembly or array provides a high strength contact surface that can be easily assembled in a staggered array from multiple, shaped gas-contact panels with a minimum amount of labor and skill required. These panels and the assembly or array are capable of withstanding rough handling and abuse during transport, assembly, placement and operation. Generally, a preferred embodiment of the invention includes an array constructed of multiple liquid gas contact panels or baffles for separating liquid droplets from a gas stream. The array includes at least two panels arranged in a stacked, staggered configuration, forming sinusoidal channels between the panels with each panel having a flange on one end, a first curved surface defining the sinusoidal gas path and multiple, spaced ribs which are perpendicular to the curved surface. Accordingly, when multiple panels are arranged adjacent to each other in an array, each flange supports a linear adjacent panel and the inner curved surface of one panel forms with the outer curved surface of the parallel, staggered adjacent panel, a channel having a generally rectangular cross-section which determines or controls the path of the gas stream.
In another preferred embodiment, each demister panel is formed having at least one male tab and at least one female slot designed and located to fit together and interlock with a corresponding slot and tab, respectively, on a parallel adjacent baffle or panel, so that parallel adjacent panels can be positioned in a staggered array, aligned in linear assembly using the end flanges and fastened into the integral array using the tabs and slots. Furthermore, the flange provided on the end of each panel for strengthening the assembled panel array is preferably formed or shaped integrally with each panel. The tabs and slots are shaped along with the flanges to physically align and interlock the panels, and can be secured in interlocking, arrayed relationship by thermal, solvent or chemical reaction welding, in non-exclusive particular.